Ferrari bids fond farewell to their amazing 056 V8 engine

The Scuderia Ferrari team has set off for Bahrain where the second pre-season tests gets underway on Wednesday, with the 2014 Formula 1 season starting in Australia on 16 March.

Among the many new elements to be tried in Sakhir is the all new V6 turbo 059/3 engine.

But before they left, the team paid tribute to one of the most amazing engines in its history, the 2.4 litre, eight cylinder 056.

The engine was used in Formula 1 from 2006 to 2013, for a total of 139 grands prix. It won two Constructors’ World Championship titles, one Drivers’, took 39 wins, equivalent to 28% of races entered, 122 podiums, 29 pole positions and 48 fastest laps.

Michael Schumacher scored the first victory for the Ferrari 056 engine at the 2006 San Marino GP

The 056 made its debut in the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix, fitted to the Ferraris and Red Bulls, taking its first pole position in that same race.

It went on to win for the first time at its fourth attempt in the San Marino Grand Prix, with Schumacher in the Ferrari 248 F1.

The final victory came in Spain in 2013, courtesy of Fernando Alonso and the F138. Over the years, the 056 was also supplied to a variety of customer teams and after Red Bull came Toro Rosso, Spyker, Force India, BMW Sauber and Sauber.

The 056 also powered the only win by a Ferrari customer engine, when Sebastian Vettel was victorious for Toro Rosso at Monza in 2008.

Sebastian Vettel scored his first grand prix win at the wheel of the Ferrari 056 powered Toro Rosso STR03 at Monza, 2008

During this period Ferrari brought a total of 185 of the 056 engines to the track, with 264 used by customers.

On the Maranello cars, those engines completed a total of 209,220 kilometres and 359,735 in the customer cars, leading for 11035 of them, (of which 467 were with customers).

Its best season was 2007, when it took the Drivers’ World title with Kimi Raikkonen, as well as the Constructors’ with Ferrari.

The most wins it recorded in a season was nine, something it achieved three times, in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

That last year, Felipe Massa just missed out on the Drivers’ crown, but Ferrari still had the satisfaction of taking the Constructors. (Ferrari)